Having spent a fair amount of time in south Texas, I have learned the danger of the diamondback rattlesnake. These fierce and powerful snakes can grow six feet long and surpass a full-grown man’s arm in diameter. Whether walking through the high grass or sleeping in a cabin, one constantly has to be on the alert for snakes.

What most people don’t realize is that the six-foot rattlers generally pose less danger than the smaller, younger ones. More mature snakes have learned that other animals fear and respect them. They have grown confident and have developed a sense for the things that would threaten them versus the things that will avoid them. Most animals know that when a rattlesnake “pops” its rattle, it’s time to leave the scene. The snakes learn this, too, so they signal their warning and wait for the interloper to flee.

A young rattler, however, doesn’t know what is a real threat and what is not. Out of fear, they may strike anything that comes near. Younger ones also have not learned to control the amount of venom released with a bite, so they typically hit their victim with a full dose. These two factors make baby rattlesnakes much more dangerous than the big ones. Yet, if given the option to kill one of two snakes, most people would reflexively target the larger one. It’s easy to think, “Oh, that’s just a small snake; it can’t hurt as much.” That’s a mistake that can lead to a lot of pain.

Sin is like that, too. People tend to look at the “big” things like murder, adultery or theft, and ignore the “small” things like pride, bitterness or envy. This tolerance of the “small snakes” leads to a lot of pain. Just because something isn’t out in the open or punishable by law doesn’t mean it can’t destroy a life. To the contrary, the sins that tend to go unnoticed can be the most poisonous to our soul.

The Unwelcome Enemy

After receiving a hip replacement, I contracted a terrible staph infection. Staphylococci can commonly be found in the nose and on the skin of healthy adults. Normally, the bacteria do not cause disease. But damage to the skin, injury or, in my case, a serious surgical procedure may allow the bacteria to overcome the natural protection of the body. The resulting infection can range from mild to severe — and even be fatal.

Mine was pretty bad. It required several days in the hospital and weeks of treatment. The antibiotics lasted for months — all to kill bacteria invisible to the naked eye. This tiny microorganism could have cost me my life.

During the battle with staph infection, I found myself recognizing how suddenly an unwelcome enemy can strike. While I was bedfast, God took me back to Isaiah 58. In this passage, God told the listeners and His chosen family of faith that if they would listen to what He said and practice His commands, they would become a “watered garden” and an “overflowing spring.”

God revealed to me that in the comfort and fruitfulness of my own Christian life and ministry, I had tolerated baby rattlesnakes in God’s garden. One example was my appetite for food, especially sugar, which was damaging me physically, leading to borderline diabetes and hindering my battle with infection. Rather than controlling my appetite, I had let it control me.

I was also undisciplined in any regular form of exercise, excusing myself because of my damaged right hip. The heavenly Father let me know that I must be very concerned about any issue He sheds light on and get that intruder out of His garden. If the Holy Spirit points it out, get rid of it because it has the explosive potential of a baby rattlesnake — or staph infection. He revealed to me that I was often distracted from Him and needed to re-focus, heading straight toward His standards.

If He sheds light on something in our life, we are to be as concerned about it as He is — not just the “big” snakes, but the “little” ones, too. We need to get rid of them. From the beginning of creation, God has told us to be fruitful. The fruit of the Spirit-filled Christian life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The Well-Watered Garden

Here is what God is saying to me, and I believe to the church as well. Real fruitfulness is living in freedom, helping to set captives free, and becoming a source of provision and care for those in need. We are to share food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless and provide clothes to the naked. We are not to hide from our own family — whether it is our birth family, family of faith or the family of needy people on earth.

As Christians, we can and must be like a well-watered garden and an overflowing spring, to help awaken the church and the nation to the absolute necessity of returning to God’s truth with our whole heart. Every sin in our life must be eradicated. We must seek intimacy with our Father and live in freedom and fullness — while allowing the fruitfulness of His Spirit to be demonstrated for His glory alone.